The Huntress by Kate Quinn

The Huntress by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Huntress is an interesting, but flawed novel. It is the story of a band of Nazi hunters who get caught up in chasing a woman who is also a war criminal. She is important to them for personal reasons as well as the normal reason of seeking justice that has motivated all their past searches. The novel switches back and forth between the perspective of this group and the point of view of Jordan, a young American woman whose mother died when she was seven. Jordan's father has chosen an Austrian woman to be his second wife, but Jordan has mixed feelings about her stepmother to be.

The story of the Nazi hunters starts out powerfully with a description of the crimes committed by the woman they are chasing, while Jordan's story takes a little while longer to get going. Although the book could have been tightened more in editing, once the American scenes get going it reads well.

One of the Nazi hunters is a Russian woman from the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia. She's a tough individual who has led a rough life with an alcoholic and abusive father. Her story is fascinating and fun to read. She makes a nice balance with Jordan, who is leading a typical life in post World War II America, but also has an inner strength motivated by her dream to be a professional photographer. These two characters make the book special.

The main problem I had with the novel was its ending. I won't spoil the book by telling specifics, but I will say there were some scenes I found unrealistic.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul, White Horse Regressions, Hopatcong Vision Quest, and Under a Warped Cross.



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